Pouring cup, sprue and riser pattern mounting for use in foundry mold forming machine



: June 21, 1966 R. LUND 3,256,571

UP, SPRUE AND POURING 0 ER PATTERN MOUNTING FOR USE IN FOUNDRY M FORMINGMACHINE Filed May 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l S i N INVENTOR ROBERT L U DBY M A T TOR/V5 Y June 21, 1966 R. LUND 3,256,571

POURING CUP, SPRUE AND RISER PATTERN MOUNTING FOR USE IN FOUNDRY MOLDFORMING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR.

ROBE R T L l/ND A 7' TORNE Y UnitedStates Patent once 3,256,57l PatentedJune 21, 1966 PUURING CUP, SPRUE AND RISER PATTERN MOUNTING FOR USE INFOUNDRY MOLD FORMING MACHINE Robert Lund, Melrose Park, Ill., assignorto Pettibone Mulliken Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofDelaware Filed May 11, 1964, Ser. No. 366,396 Claims. (Cl. 22-38) Thepresent invention relates generally to foundry molding equipment and hasparticular reference to a mold forming machine by means of whichcavities may be formed in a sand mold to produce a sprue leading to themold cavity and also to produce an enlarged tapered cup leading to thesprue for facilitating pouring of molten metal through the cup and sprueto the mold cavity. The mold forming machine of the present inventionmay also, if desired, effect formation in the sand mold of a riser orfeeder passage leading from the mold cavity'for surge of excess moltenmetal thereintodur-ing a metal pouring operation, a portion of the metalreturning to the mold cavity to compensate for any shrinkage of thepoured metal during cooling thereof, thus avoiding voids and otherdefects in the finished casting. The present invention is applicable toboth mechanized or automatic foundry molding equipment, as well as toconventional manual mold box or flask procedures. The invent-ion also isapplicable to mold forming operations involving molds other than sandmolds, for example, graphite or loam molds or the like, whether themolds be formed of refractory material or otherwise, or whether themolds be of the permanent or destructible type. Irrespective, however,of the particular use to which the invention may be put, the essentialfeatures of the invention are at all times preserved.

-It is invariably the practice in foundry molding operations,particularly in automatic molding machine operations, to form in thecope section of a mold pouring cup or depression which communicates withat least one sprue passage in communication with and leading to the moldcavity. This pouring cup or depression functions in the manner of afunnel to conduct the poured molten metal to the sprue passage and fromthence to the mold cavity. The pouring cup or depression and itsassociated sprue passage are formed at the time of forming the copesection of the mold and the means whereby they are formed include apouring cup pattern and a sprue pattern or punch which move relativelyto each other in axial alignment during flask-closing operations. Thepouring cup pattern usually is mounted on the usual squeeze plate at theupper portion of the flask and the sprue pattern or punch is in mostinstances mounted indirectly on and is movable with the table of themolding machine so that as the table rises toward the squeeze plate, orthe squeeze plate moves into the flask, the sprue and pouring cuppatterns move relatively toward and finally into engagement with eachother. It also is the practice, under certain circumstances, to form ariser passage in communication with mold cavity, utilizing a riserpattern in the same manner as the sprue pattern or punch.

In an effort to over-come certain difiiculties that'are associated withsprue and pouring cup patterns of the type briefly outlined above, therehas been devised telescopic sprue and pouring cup patterns 'whereinautomatic alignment between the two patterns takes place duringflask-closing operations as soon as the sprue pattern moves intotelescopic relation with respect to the pouring cu-p pattern.Furthermore, in order to obviate the necessity of maintaining closetolerances in the height of the flask or the length of the spruepattern, to prevent either looseness or binding of the sprue patternwhen the flask is closed, a spring-loaded lost-motion connection betweenthe sprue pattern and either the table or other portion of the machinewhich supports the sprue pattern has been devised. These featurespresent themselves in copending United States patent application SerialNo. 239,663, filed by William A. Hunter and me on November 23, 1962, andnow entitled, Self-Aligning Pouring Cup Pattern and Sprue PunchAssembly, over which application the present invention is animprovement.

The pouring cup pattern and sprue punch apparatus or assembly of theabove-mentioned copending patent application is predicated upon the useof a pouring cup pattern and a sprue punch (sprue pattern or punch)which cooperate telescopically with each other and, moreover, requirethat the sprue punch pass completely through a hole in either thesqueeze plate or the cross wall of the associated flask section so thatit may find yielding reaction support above the squeeze plate or belowsuch cross wall and, in either event, outside of the flask proper. Thus,once an installation has been made for a given positioning of thepouring cup pattern and sprue punch, change-over operations toaccommodate a different positioning of such parts can be made only withgreat difliculty and at considerable expense. The original tapped holein the squeeze plate or the cross wall of the associated flask sectionmust be plugged, a new hole drilled and tapped at the new location, andin certain instances, when employed, the sprue punch seat on the crossWall of the flask must be relocated, after which the parts may then beassembled at their new location. These operations weaken the squeezeplate or the cross wall and, after a few such change-over operations, anew squeeze plate or cross wall is required. As a matter of fact, theexpense of repositioning the pouring cup pattern and the sprue punchfrequently justifies the substitution of a new squeeze plate or flasksection cross wall for each change of position. Still further, theassembly or apparatus of the aforementioned patent application precludescertain positioning of the pattern parts due to interference withoutside machine instrumentalities, such as the ram plunger or ramcylinder, or other adjacent obstructions. For example, it precludescentering the pattern parts directly above the pattern proper so that itis always necessary to resort to the use of lateral feeders or runnersbetween the sprue punch and the pattern proper.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-notedlimitations that are attendant upon the construction and use of apouring cup pattern and sprue punch assembly of the type that is shownand described in said copending patent application Serial No. 239,663and, toward this end, the invention contemplates the provision of apneumatic pouring cup pattern and sprue pattern mounting which willenable repeated change-over operations for the purpose of repositioningthe pattern parts, the change-over operations being performedeconomically and with no damage, whatsoever, to the squeeze plate orother constituent flask parts. According to the present invention, oncean initial pattern parts installation has been made, repeatedrepositioning of the pattern parts within the flask cavity may be madewith no modification, whatsoever, to the squeeze plate or other flaskparts.

The provision of a pouring cup pattern and sprue pattern mounting of thecharacter briefly outlined above being the principal object of theinvention, this object is attained by establishing, immediately beneaththe squeeze plate of the molding machine with which the mounting isassociated, an air pocket or reservoir of extremely small verticaldimension or height but of wide horizontal expense. If desired, thisreservoir may be of such extent that it is substantially coextensivewith the effective area of the squeeze plate. Means are provided forfeeding this reservoir with air under pressure during the blowoperation. The pouring cup pattern is in the form of a tubular memberwhich telescopically receives the sprue pattern or punch and the latteris provided with a pistonlike head which operates within the tubularpouring cup pattern, and with a shank which is capable of beingretracted into and projected from the tubular pouring cup pattern in themanner of a cylinder and plunger assembly. The pouring cup patterncommunicates with the aforementioned reservoir through the bottomreservoir wall and is permanently supported from such bottom wall [forany given installation. Air within the pouring cup pattern forces thesprue pattern downwardly and into engagement with the subjacent flaskmember at the time of initial flask-closing operations and maintains thesprue pattern yieldingly in engagement with such member during the blowoperation. During the squeeze operation, the sprue pattern is forcedtelescopically upwardly into the pouring cup pattern. By such anarrangement, the lostmotion connection and the sprue pattern and pouringcup pattern alignment that is made possible by the pouring cup patternand sprue punch assembly of aforementioned copending patent applicationSerial No. 239,663, as well as other advantageous features thereof, arepreserved, while an additional advantage accrues from the fact thatrelocation of the pattern parts may be effected economically and withoutdamaging or otherwise modifying the squeeze plate proper. Relocation ofthe pattern parts may be effected simply by forming a tapped hole in theair reservoir beneath the squeeze plate at the desired location aftersealing off the initial tapped hole. The pouring cup pattern and thesprue pattern, as an assembled unit, may be moved bodily to the newlocation. The new location may be either above the flask pattern properor it may be to one side thereof. No centering (protuberance or othercentering device for the lower end of the sprue pattern is required onthe bottom wall of the flask and the only alteration of machinestructure resides in a relocation of the tapped hole in the bottom wallof the air reservoir. This bottom wall is of plate metal construction sothat the relocation of holes is a simple matter and may be repeatedlyperformed many times before this expendible plate metal item requiresreplacement.

Still further, according to the present invention, provision is made forproducing in the sand mold a riser passage, the passage beingestablished by means similar to the means for producing the spruepassage and utilizing telescopic riser pattern parts, including atubular cylinderlike part and a cooperating plunger-like part, thecylinderlike part being in communication with the aforementioned airreservoir through a tapped hole in the bottom wall of the reservoir. Thetelescopic riser pattern assembly is thus equally capable of relocationwithin the flask cavity and its position may be shifted when desiredeither in conjunction with or independent of any shifting of theassembly of pouring cup pattern and sprue pattern.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention not at this timeenumerated will become readily apparent as the following descriptionensues.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of thisspecification, one embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view, somewhat schematic in itsrepresentation, showing the improved pouring cup, sprue and riserpattern mounting of the present invention operatively installed in thecope flask section of an automatic match plate-type molding machine, thesection being taken substantially centrally and longitudinally throughthe flask and showing the squeeze plate, the match plate, and the flasksections closed upon one another and the flask filled with sandpreparatory to a sand squeeze operation;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 and in the directionindicated by the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. '1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the parts in adifferent position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to FIG. 1,the pouring cup, sprue and riser pattern mounting of the presentinvention has been shown as being embodied in a match plate moldingmachine of the general type that is shown and described in copendingUnited States patent application Serial No. 276,479, filed on April 29,1963 by William A. Hunter and me and entitled, Match Plate MoldingMachine for the Simultaneous Production of Cope and Drag Mold Sections.Only the essential elements of the molding machine as they apply to thepattern mounting of the present invention have been illustrated and theillustration thereof is of simplified or schematic form.

Briefly, the molding machine, insofar as it applies to the patternmounting of the present invention, is a fully automatic machine whereinblow-squeeze functions may be carried out on a pair of flask sections 10and 12 on opposite sides of a horizontal match plate 14 in oneoperation. The match plate 14 is essentially a two-sided pattern plateand carries an upwardly presented pattern 16 and a downwardly presentedpattern 18, the pattern 16 being designed for projection into the upperor cope flask section 10 and the pattern 18 being similarly designed forprojection into the lower or drag flask section 12. The two flasksections are relatively movable in vertical in-line relationshi betweena position of wide separation and a position of close proximity whereinthe sections are closed upon each other and the match plate issandwiched between them as shown in FIG. 1. The lower or drag flasksection 12 is carried on a vertically shiftable table (not shown) andmoves vertically therewith. An upper sandcompacting squeeze plate 20 isattached to a ram plunger 22 which shifts vertically under the influenceof an actuating hydraulic ram cylinder (not shown). A similar lowersqueeze plate (not shown) is carried by the table and is likewisevertically shiftable by hydraulic means (also, not shown). The matchplate is laterally shiftable between an out-of-the-Way position remotefrom the working area of the machine to an advanced or operativeposition wherein it is interposed between the cope and drag flasksections 10 and 12. The drag flask section is movable vertically from alowered position, through an intermediate position wherein it engagesand .picks up the match plate and shifts the same vertically intoengagement with the upper cope flask section with the adjacent rims ofthe two flask sections bearing sealingly against the match plate asshown in FIG. 1. Thereafter, loose sand is blown into both flasksections simultaneuosly through blow holes or openings in the side wallsthereof, such for example, as the blow openings 24 in the upper flasksection 10; and, after both flask sections have been filled with sand,the upper and lower squeeze plates are moved toward each other and intotheir respective flask sections in order simultaneously to compact thesand in the flask sections 10 and 12 about the patterns 16 and 18. Sincethe present pattern mounting is associated only with the upper or copeflask section 10, the details of the lower or drag flask section havenot been illustrated herein nor have the associated instrumentalities,such as the lower squeeze plate, been shown. The squeeze position of theupper squeeze plate 20 when it descends into the upper or cope flasksection 10 has been shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. In this position ofthe squeeze plate 20, the match plate 1 and the squeeze plate 20function as sandcompacting members to comprise the sand between.

The pattern mounting of the present invention includes a pouring cuppattern 30, a sprue pattern or punch 32 and a two-piece telescopic riserpattern 31. The pouring c'up pattern 30 is generally of invertedfrusto-conical configuration and is provided with a vertically extendingcylindrical bore 33 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) presenting an internal upwardlyfacing annular shoulder 34 adjacent to its lower rim. The sprue pattern32 is of elongated cylindrical design and the upper region thereof istelescopically slidable in the bore 33 and is provided with an enlargedhead 36. The latter carries an O-ring 38 which makes sealing engagementwith the wall of the bore 33 so that the pouring cup pattern and thesprue pattern constitute, in effect, an extensible and contractiblecylinder and plunger assembly.

Means are provided for supplying air under pressure to the upper end ofthe bore 33 during the blow operation in order to force the spruepattern 32 downwardly and into seating contact with the match plate 14.Accordingly, a shallow pan-shaped air reservoir 40 which is of widedimensions and is preferably, but not necessarily, of rectangulardesign, is positioned immediately below the squeeze plate 20, thisreservoir being established by reason of a rectangular stamped metalplate 42 which underlies and is maintained in slightly spacedrelationship from the bottom surface of the squeeze plate 20 by means ofa rectangular gasket-like spacer strip 44. The spacer strip 44 and theplate 42 are secured to the underneath face of the squeeze plate 20 bymeans of screws 46 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Spacer blocks 48, which areappropriately spaced within the air reservoir 40 between the plate 42and squeeze plate 20 and are suitably secured in place, reinforce theplate 42 against collapse or bucklingduring the squeeze operation.

The plate 42 is formed of heavy gauge plate or sheet metal andconstitutes the bottom wall for the narrow reservoir while therectangular spacer strip 44 constitutes an'extremely small height sidewall for the reservoir.

Communication between the air reservoir 40 and the interior of thepouring cup pattern 30 is established by way of a threaded nipple 50,the upper end of which is threadedly received in a tapped hole 52 in theplate 42 and the lower end of which is threadedly received in a tappedhole 54 in an attachment plate 56. The latter is seated within anannular recess 58 in the upper end face of the pouring cup pattern 30and is secured therein by means of a plurality of screws 60. The nipple50 maintains the attachment plate, and consequently, the pouring cuppattern as a whole, in position on the underneath side of the plate 42and in communication with the air reservoir 40. An O-ring 62 seals theupper rim of the pouring cup to the intermediate face of the plate 42.

The composite two-piece telescopic riser pattern 31 is similar in itsdesign to the assembly 01f pouring cup pattern and sprue pattern andincludes a tubular cylindrical upper section 70 and a lower section 72.The upper end of the lower section is provided with an enlarged head 74constituting, in effect, a piston. An annular outwardly extendingattachment flange 76 on the upper end of the upper section 70 is securedby screws 78 to the underneath face of the reservoir plate 42and a hole80 in said plate establishes communication between the air reservoir andthe interior of the upper section 70 of the riser pattern. During theblow operation, air under pressure in the upper section 70 serves toforce the lower section 72 downwardly into seating engagement with thematch plate 14.

a source of air under pressure and having interposed therein a suitablevalve (not shown) by means of which there is control of the supply ofair under pressure to the reservoir during the blow operation.

In the operation of the herein-described pattern mounting, air pressureis applied to the reservoir 40 only during the blow operation. At thistime, the flask sections 10 and 112 and the match plate 14 assume thepositions in which they are shown in FIG. 1 with the adjacent rims ofboth flask sections seated on the peripheral region of the match plate.The squeeze plate 20 is in a raised position wherein it has just enteredthe upper rim of the upper or cope flask section 10 while the lowersqueeze plate (not shown) similarly assumes the same relationship wi-threspect to the lower rim of the lower or drag flask section 12. Airpressure is maintained in the reservoir 40 so that both the spruepattern 32 and the lower section 72 of the telescopic riser pattern 31are maintained in yielding seating engagement with the match plate 14.

After the blow operation has been completed, during which time sand isblown into the flask through the aforementioned blow openings includingthe openings 24, the two squeeze plates are moved relatively to eachother to compact the sand in both flask sections about the patterns 16and 18, pressure thus being equalized on opposite sides of the matchplate 14 as described in aforementioned copending patent applicationSerial No. 276,479 and, during this squeeze operation, the sprue pattern32 is carried upwardly from the position wherein it is shown in FIG. 4to the position wherein it is shown in FIG. 5, thus telescoping thesprue pattern 32 into the pouring cup pattern 30. During this squeezeoperation, the bottom Wall 42 of the reservoir, reinforced by theinternal pressure of air thereabove, is instrumental in effecting thesqueeze operation since it is in direct contact with the sand.

In the illustratedenvironment of the present invention, the spruepattern 32 and the lower section 72 of the riser pattern 31 are shown asbeing laterally offset from the pattern 16 and connected thereto byhorizontal runner patterns and 92. These two runner patterns may bepositioned for direct seating against the pattern 16 if desired and,according to the present invention, it is possible economically and witha minimum of labor, to effect a change-over operation where thepositioning of the pattern parts may be effected at any desired locationwithin the flask section 10.

To make any given change-over operation, it is necessary merely to drilland tap a new hole 52 in the reservoir bottom plate 42 at the desiredlocation and unscrew the threaded nipple 50 from the original hole 52and transfer it, together with the assembly of pouring cup pattern andsprue pattern in position thereon to the new hole. To facilitateunscrewing of the nipple 50 from the original hole 52 and threading ofthe same into the new hole, the nipple may be spot-Welded in position inthe attachment plate 56. After such transfer of the pouring cup pattern30 and the sprue pattern 32, the original tapped hole may be suitablyplugged.

The composite telescopic two-piece riser pattern 34 may similarly betransferred from one location within the flask section 10 to another.

The invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification asvarious changes in the details of construction may be resorted towithoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Neither is theinvention tobe limited to the specific environment in which it isdisclosed herein. For example, although the pouring cup, sprue and riserpattern mounting has been illustrated as beingoperatively associatedwith the cope flask section 10 of a match plate molding machine of thetype that is shown and described in the aforementioned copending patentapplication Serial No. 276,479, the same may, if desired, with orwithout siutable modification, be applied to automatic saind moldingmachines whether the same be of the match plate type or otherwise.Irrespective, however, of the particular use to which the presentinvention may be put or to the specific form which it assumes, theessential features of the invention remain substantially the same.Therefore, only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointedout in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a molding machine of the character described, an open-ended flasksection adapted to receive a charge of loose molding material forsubsequent compacting thereof about a pattern within the flask section,a first material compacting member seated upon and closing one open endof the flask section, a second materialcompacting member movable'towardand away from the first material-compacting member for compacting thematerial within the flask section against the first materialcompactingmember, an air reservoir carried by the second material-compactingmember, a tubular pouring cup pattern supported on and depending fromthe second material-compacting member and shaped to create a pouringdepression in the material during compacting thereof, said pouring cuppattern having a central vertical bore therein, a sprue patterntelescopically and slidably received in said bore through the lower endof the pouring cup pattern and shaped to create a sprue passage in thematerial in communication with the depression during compacting of thematerial within the flask section, means providing a passageestablishing open communication between the upper region of said boreand said air reservoir, and means for supplying air under pressure tothe interior of said air reservoir to extend the sprue pattern from thepouring cup pattern and into yielding engagement with said firstmaterial-compacting member.

2. In a molding machine of the character described, in combination, aflask section having open upper and lower ends and adapted to receive acharge of loose sand for subsequent compacting thereof about a patternwithin the flask section, an upper sand compacting member and a lowersand-compacting member in vertical register with the upper and loweropen ends of the flask section respectively and relatively movabletoward and away from each other for compacting the sand within the flasksection therebetween, an air reservoir supported on and positionedimmediately beneath said upper sand compacting member, a tubular pouringcup pattern supported on and depending from the second sandcompactingmember and shaped to create a pouring depression in the sand duringcompacting of the latter, said pouring cup pattern having a centralvertical bore therein, a sprue pattern telescopically and slidablyreceived in said bore and adapted to create a sprue passage in the sandin communication with the depression during compacting of the sand,means providing a passage establishing open communication between theupper region of said bore and said air reservoir, and means forsupplying air under pressure to the interior of said air reservoir.

3. In a molding machine of the character described, the combination setforth in claim 2 and including, additionally, an enlarged head on theupper end of the sprue pattern within the bore and constituting a pistonfor effective telescopic movement of the sprue pattern into and out ofthe bore, and means defining an internal annular shoulder at thelower'end of the bore and designed for contact with said enlarged headto prevent separation of the pouring cup pattern and the sprue pattern.

4. In a molding machine of the character described, in combination, aflask section having open upper and lower ends and adapted to receive acharge of loose sand for subsequent compacting thereof about a patternwithin the flask section, a sand-compacting plate closing the lower openend of the flask section, a squeeze plate movable vertically into andout of said flask section through the upper open end of the flasksection for compacting sand within the flask section against thesand-compacting plate and about the pattern, a shallow pan-shaped airreservoir secured to the underneath face of said squeeze plate andincluding a flat bottom wall spaced a small distance from saidunderneath face, an open-ended tubular pouring cup pattern, means forsecuring the open upper end of said pouring cup to the underneath faceof said bottom wall, said pouring cup pattern depending from saidunderneath face of the bottom wall and being shaped to create a pouringdepression in the sand during compacting thereof, said pouring cuppattern being provided with a central vertical bore therethrough, asprue pattern telescopically and slidably received in said bore andadapted to create a sprue passage in the sand in communication with thedepression during compacting of the sand, said bottom wall of thereservoir being formed with an opening therein establishingcommunication between the air reservoir and the upper end of the bore,and means for supplying air under pressure to the interior of said airreservoir.

5. In a molding machine of the character described, the combination setforth in claim 4 and wherein the means for securing the open upper endof the pouring cup to the underneath face of the reservoir bottom wallcomprises an attachment plate secured to and extending across said openupper end of the pouring cup pattern, said attachment plate beingprovided with an opening therein in register with the opening in saidbottom wall, and means releasably securing the attachment plate to saidbottom wall.

6. In a molding machine of the character described, the combination setforth in claim 4 and wherein the means for securing the open upper endof the pouring cup to the underneath face of the reservoir bottom wallcomcomprises an attachment plate secured to and extending across saidopen upper end, said attachment plate being provided with an openingtherein, and a tubular nipple having one end thereof threadedly receivedin the opening in the attachment plate and its other end threadedlyreceived in the opening in said bottom wall.

7. In a molding machine of the character described, the combination setforth in claim 4 and wherein the means for securing the open upper endof the pouring cup to the underneath face of the reservoir bottom wallcomprises an attachment plate secured to and extending across said openupper end, said attachment plate being provided with a central openingtherethrough, a tubular threaded nipple projecting upwardly from saidattachment plate in communication with and surrounding said latteropening, said nipple being threadedly received within the opening insaid bottom wall of the reservoir.

8. In a molding machine of the character described, in combination, aflask section having open upper and lower ends and adapted to receive acharge of loose sand for subsequent compacting thereof about a patternwithin the flask section, a sand-compacting plate closing the lower openend of the flask, a squeeze plate movable vertically into and out ofsaid flask section through the upper open end of the flask section forcompacting sand within the flask section against the sand-compactingplate and about the pattern, a shallow pan-shaped reservoir disposedbeneath and supported from said squeeze plate, said reservoir includinga rectangular flat plate underlying and spaced a slight distance fromthe underneath face of said squeeze plate and constituting a bottom wallfor the reservoir, a continuous marginal gasket-like spacer stripinterposed between the peripheral edge region of the plate and thesqueeze plate and constituting a side wall for the reservoir, attachmentscrews passing through the plate and strip and serving to secure thereservoir in position on the squeeze plate, said plate being formed witha threaded opening therethrough, an elongated vertically extendingopen-ended tubular pouring cup pattern shaped to create a pouringopening in the sand during compacting of the latter, an attachment plateextending across and secured to the open upper end of the pouring cuppattern, said attachment plate being formed with a central openingtherethrough, a threaded nipple on said attachment plate surroundingsaid central opening and threadedly received in the opening in saidplate, said nipple establishing communication between the upper end ofthe pouring cup pattern and the reservoir and serving to support thepouring cup pattern from the plate, a sprue pattern telescopically andslidably received in said pouring cup pattern and projecting outwardlyfromthe lower open end thereof, said sprue pattern being shaped tocreate a sprue passage in the sand during compacting of the latter andin communication with said pouring opening, and means for supplying airunder pressure to the interior of said reservoir.

9. In a molding machine of the character described, the combination setforth in claim 8 and including, additionally, an enlarged head on saidsprue pattern and within the pouring cup pattern, said head functioningin the manner of a piston to force the sprue pattern downwardly andoutwardly of the pouring cup pattern and into seating engagement withsaid sand-compacting plate.

10. In a molding machine of the character described, in combination, aflask section having open upper and lower ends and adapted to receive acharge of loose sand for subsequent compacting thereof about a patternwithin the flask section, a sand-compacting plate closing the lower openend of the flask, a squeeze plate movable vertically into and out ofsaid flask section through the upper open end of the flask section forcompacting sand within the flask section against the sand-compactingplate and about the pattern, a shallow pan-shaped reservoir disposedbeneath and supported from said squeeze plate, said reservoir includinga rectangular fiat plate underlying and spaced a slight distance fromthe underneath face of said squeeze plate and constituting a bottom wallfor the reservoir, a continuous marginal gasket-like spacer stripinterposed between the peripheral edge region of the plate and thesqueeze plate and constituting a side wall for the reservoir, attachmentscrews passing through the plate and strip and serving to secure thereservoir in position on the squeeze plate, said plate being formed withfirst and second threaded openings therethrough, first and secondopen-ended tubular cylindrical members secured to the underneath face ofsaid plate and encompassing said first and second openings respectivelyand in communication with the reservoir through said openings, first andsecond plungers telescopically and slidably disposed within the firstand second cylindrical members respectively and extensible therefromunder the influence of air pressure in the reservoir and saidcylindrical members, said first cylindrical member constituting apouring cup pattern for creating a pouring depression in the sand duringcompacting of the latter, said first plunger constituting a spruepattern for creating a sprue passage in the sand in communication withthe pouring depression during compacting of the sand, said secondcylindrical member and second plunger constituting a compositetelescopic riser pattern for creating a riser passage in the sand duringcompacting of the latter, and means for supplying air under pressure tosaid reservoir.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,146 3/1902Davis 22162 798,675 9/1905 Hall 2238 1,095,356 4/1933 Norwick I 22382,908,951 10/1959 Melka 2238 MARCUS U. LYONS, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A MOLDING MACHINE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, AN OPEN-ENDED FLASKSECTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CHARGE OF LOOSE MOLDING MATERIAL FORSUBSEQUENT COMPACTING THEREOF ABOUT A PATTERN WITHIN THE FLASK SECTION,A FIRST MATERIAL COMPACTING MEMBER SEATED UPON AND CLOSING ONE OPEN ENDOF THE FLASK SECTION, A SECOND MATERIALCOMPACTING MEMBER MOVABLE TOWARDAND AWAY FROM THE FIRST MATERIAL-COMPACTING MEMBER FOR COMPACTING THEMATERIAL WITHIN THE FLASK SECTION AGAINST THE FIRST MATERIALCOMPACTINGMEMBER, AND AIR RESERVOIR CARRIED BY THE SECOND MATERIAL-COMPACTINGMEMBER, A TUBULAR POURING CUP PATTERN SUPPORTED ON AND DEPENDING FROMTHE SECOND MATERIAL-COMPACTING MEMBER AND SHAPED TO CREATE A POURINGDEPRESSION IN THE MATERIAL DURING COMPACTING THEREOF, SAID POURING CUPPATTERN HAVING A CENTRAL VERTICAL BORE THEREIN, A SPRUE PATTERNTELESCOPICALLY AND SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID BORE THROUGH THE LOWER ENDOF THE POURING CUP PATTERN AND SHAPED TO CREATE A SPRUE PASSAGE IN THEMATERIAL IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEPRESSION DURING COMPACTING OF THEMATERIAL WITHIN THE FLASK SECTION, MEANS PROVIDING A PASSAGEESTABLISHING OPEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE UPPER REGION OF SAID BOREAND SAID AIR RESERVOIR, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TOTHE INTERIOR OF SAID AIR RESERVOIR TO EXTEND THE SPRUE PATTERN FROM THEPOURING CUP PATTERN AND INTO YIELDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRSTMATERIAL-COMPACTING MEMBER.